Childhood's End - Arthur C. Clarke [3]
Stormgren wasted no time after Van Ryberg's brief and somewhat strained introductions.
"I suppose," he began, "the chief object of your visit is to register a formal protest against the Federation Scheme. Am I correct?"
Wainwright nodded gravely.
"That is my main protest, Mr. Secretary. As you know, for the last five years we have tried to awaken the human race to the danger that confronts it. The task has been a difficult one, for the majority of people seem content to let the Overlords run the world as they please. Nevertheless, more than five million patriots, in every country, have signed our petition."
"That is not a very impressive figure out of two and a half billion."
"It is a figure that cannot be ignored. And for every person who has signed, there are many who feel grave doubts about the wisdom, not to mention the rightness of this Federation plan. Even Supervisor Karellen, for all his powers, cannot wipe out a thousand years of history at the stroke of a pen."
"What does anyone know of Karellen's powers?" retorted Stormgren. "When I was a boy, the Federation of Europe was a dream-but when I grew to manhood it had become reality. And that was before the arrival of the Overlords. Karellen is merely finishing the work we had begun."
"Europe was a cultural and geographical entity. The world is not-that is the difference."
"To the Overlords," replied Stormgren sarcastically, "the Earth is probably a great deal smaller than Europe seemed to our fathers-and their outlook, I submit, is more mature than ours."
"I do not necessarily quarrel with Federation as an ultimate objective-though many of my supporters might not agree. But it must come from within-not be superimposed from without. We must work out our own destiny. There must be no more interference in human affairs!"
Stormgren sighed. All this he had heard a hundred times before, and he knew that he could only give the old answer that the Freedom League had refused to accept. He had faith in Karellen, and they had not. That was the fundamental difference, and there was nothing he could do about it. Luckily, there was nothing that the Freedom League could do, either.
"Let me ask you a few questions," he said. "Can you deny that the Overlords have brought security, peace and prosperity to the world?"
"That is true. But they have taken our liberty. Man does not live-"
"-by bread alone. Yes, I know-but this is the first age in which every man was sure of getting even that. In any case, what freedom have we lost compared with that which the Overlords have given us for the first time in human history?"
"Freedom to control our own lives, under God's guidance." At last, thought Stormgren, we've got to the point. Basically, the conflict is a religious one, however much it may be disguised. Wainwright never let you forget he was a clergyman. Though he no longer wore a clerical collar, somehow one always got the impression it was still there.
"Last month," pointed out Stormgren, "a hundred bishops, cardinals and rabbis signed a joint declaration pledging their support for the Supervisor's policy. The world's religions are against you."
Wainwright shook his head in angry denial.
"Many of the leaders are blind; they have been corrupted by the Overlords. When they realize the danger, it may be too late. Humanity will have lost its initiative and become a subject race."
There was silence for a moment. Then Stormgren replied;
"In three days I will be meeting the Supervisor again. I will explain your objections to him, since it is my duty to represent the views of the world. But it will alter nothing-I can assure you of that."
"There is one other point," said Wainwright slowly. "We have many objections to the Overlords-but above all we detest their secretiveness. You are the only human being who has ever spoken with Karellen, and even you have never seen him! Is it surprising that we doubt his motives?"
"Despite all that he has done for humanity?"
"Yes-despite that. I do not know which we resent more-Karellen's